Family's anger at sentence for thief who killed man with own car

A teenage car thief who knocked down and killed a grandfather with his own vehicle was jailed for four years and eight months today.

Dean Fagan, now 16, jumped into a Volkswagen Golf which owner Kenneth Bostock had left running while he opened his garage.

Mr Bostock tried to stop the theft but Fagan knocked him down and drove over the 66-year-old's body.

The retired bus driver, from Netherton, Merseyside, died of crush injuries to his head at the scene of the incident, which took place last November.

Fagan admitted manslaughter and was found not guilty of murder following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court in July.

He was sentenced at Preston Crown Court today by Mr Justice Openshaw, who claimed he did not believe the teenager was genuinely remorseful for his crime.

He said: "I have no doubt that he now regrets the position that he is in, but I doubt whether he is showing genuine remorse and contrition.

"I suspect his only concern is for himself."

Fagan, who sat in the dock with his mother, showed no emotion as the sentence was passed. Mr Bostock's family reacted furiously to the sentence.

One woman shouted: "Evil!" as the teenager was taken down, and a male relative cried: "I'll get you when you're out, Fagan."

Speaking outside court, Gill Bostock said: "He killed our dad and he will probably be out by the time he is 18.

"When will they make an example of these people?

"He is scum and he brought a gang of scum today to laugh at us and try to intimidate us.

"No sentence would ever be long enough but at least 10 years would show that they are taking it seriously."

Asked how she felt about a letter of apology which Fagan had written to the family, Miss Bostock replied: "He can keep it. What do we want a letter from scum for? He's not sorry, he's only sorry for himself."

The court heard that Fagan had no previous convictions at the time of the offence but he had admitted involvement in stealing and driving cars from a young age.

The theft of Mr Bostock's car was pre-meditated, as Fagan had spotted his routine of leaving the engine running while he opened his garage doors.

On the night of the theft, Fagan had lain in wait on nearby playing fields until he saw Mr Bostock drive his car past.

He then told his friends: "That's my cue, I'm off" and ran off to wait in the shadows for his chance to strike.

He sped away after running Mr Bostock down and later torched the car and his clothes, with the help of his father.

Mr Openshaw commented: "Mr Bostock must have realised at once his car was being taken and quite naturally and predictably he sought to prevent this and so, again quite naturally and predictably, he moved across the front of the car.

"I'm sure the defendant immediately realised that he was faced with the choice that he should stop and be caught or drive on and escape.

"I accept that the defendant's pre-meditation did not extend to running down Mr Bostock if the need arose but, faced with this dilemma, he had no opportunity for reflection and he decided to drive on."